cantilevers

[dan1978]

I always set mine a couple of mm from the rims and have the pulley bit higher up. I thought that gave more leverage. can't show pic i have v's on at the mo.

That diagram shows to have them lower right and at a greater outward angle, or am I reading it wrong.

 

[bluedazzler]

dont worry about anything else too much, this is the only thing you need to worry about with cantilevers. the distance between canti arm and rim under braking, closer = less power

 

[belfastboy]

canti's

Rob's post is incorrect. If you use canti levers with V brakes you run the risk of doing a header. Sheldon Browne has a great explanation.

Canti lever's have high mech advantage as the canti brakes are low mechanical advantage. It is the reverse with V brakes....the breakes are high and the V brake levers are low advantage.

You can use Canti levers with V brakes if you use a Problem Solver (pick them up on Ebay for $12 each. I run XTR V;s on the front on my Explosif and XTR canti's on the rear with first generation XTR canti levers.
The problem solvers work well.

I learned not to use canti levers with V brakes in real time when I replaced my wife's canti brakes with XT V's but left her LX canti levers. Luckily it was me who did the test ride.
Live and learn and hope I don't get killed in the learning phase!!!

 

[bluedazzler]

Re: canti's

You can use Canti levers with V brakes if you use a Problem Solver (pick them up on Ebay for $12 each. I run XTR V;s on the front on my Explosif and XTR canti's on the rear with first generation XTR canti levers.
The problem solvers work well.

have you got a picture? I've not heard of this but it sounds good

 

[Groundoggy]

http://problemsolversbike.com/products/travel_agents/

 

[xerxes]

The problem with Problem Solvers is that they often work out more expensive than the component for which they are solving the problem.

 

[Neil]

The problem with Problem Solvers is that they often work out more expensive than the component for which they are solving the problem.

Really? How often, and how much more?

 

[xerxes]

Really? How often, and how much more?

Don't get me wrong, they make some useful stuff if you really must use a particular component. However, I was looking at their clamp on pulley to allow you to use a bottom pull front mech with a top down cable, worked out at about £18.00 with shipping, whereas I could buy a new front mech of a similar quality to my existing one for about the same money, or not much more if I wanted a nicer mech, and it would be tidier than having extra clamp and pulley on the down tube.

 

[Neil]

Really? How often, and how much more?

Don't get me wrong, they make some useful stuff if you really must use a particular component. However, I was looking at their clamp on pulley to allow you to use a bottom pull front mech with a top down cable, worked out at about £18.00 with shipping, whereas I could buy a new front mech of a similar quality to my existing one for about the same money, or not much more if I wanted a nicer mech, and it would be tidier than having extra clamp and pulley on the down tube.

Although I have a few items in my parts, don't think I've ever actually used them - but all the same - say where brakes are concerned, you'd either actually have to swap out some Vs for cantis, or the levers (and potentially shifters) - now I suppose at the budget end, that may come close to much the same cost, but probably not in most scenarios.

Truth be told, it would have to be a last resort for me, because I think in some scenarios they're not exactly aesthetic, but all the same, they seem pitched, price-wise, at just below that level where they're un-economic.

 

[mvd1974]

dont worry about anything else too much, this is the only thing you need to worry about with cantilevers. the distance between canti arm and rim under braking, closer = less power

For the most powerfull setup you need to get the moment (crank X power) as high as possible. To get the moment as high as possible you need to get the angle through the pivot point, the point where the cable is attached an the cable straddle thiny at 90° at the time the brake pad is touching the rim.

Bleudazzler, I hope you don't mind I used your photo to draw in the angle I'm talking about...

It's the same for V's... so indeed the distance is important. In case of V's the only way to tune the angle... with canti's you can play with the straddle also...